He managed Leeds United and Reading, but once struggled to sell pensions | OneFootball

Brian McDermott managed Leeds United and Reading FC, but he once struggled to sell pensions and had a strange start to life in football management...

Brian McDermott is a name familiar to both Leeds United and Reading supporters, but his route to managing two of English football's best-known clubs was anything but straightforward.

Before the Leeds United and Reading dugouts, the former Arsenal midfielder spent time playing across England and abroad, followed by a spell in a career he quickly discovered was not for him.

Brian McDermott once found himself selling pensions and insurance after hanging up his boots, before a return to football through non-league management eventually opened the door to Reading. From there, his career took him all the way to Elland Road and beyond.

Brian McDermott's life before Leeds and Reading

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After beginning his playing career at Arsenal, McDermott went on to feature for clubs like Fulham, Oxford United, Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Exeter City, and Yeovil Town, as well as spending time in Sweden and Hong Kong. He was even named Sweden's Player of the Year in 1984.

After retiring, however, football briefly disappeared from his life. McDermott spent two weeks signing on for unemployment benefits before interviewing for a job selling franking machines.

According to The Guardian, he admitted he was "useless" at the interview, but later accepted an opportunity to sell pensions and insurance, spending around a year in sales. He described it as useful for learning what he did not want to do.

His way back came through Slough Town, where he worked in the Football in the Community scheme before becoming manager. He later took charge of Woking, and although he was sacked in 2000, that proved to be the beginning of his route into the professional game.

Brian McDermott's time at Reading and Leeds before a return to Berkshire

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Alan Pardew brought McDermott to Reading in 2000 as chief scout and Under-17 manager, where he developed an impressive eye for talent and helped discover players including Kevin Doyle and Shane Long. He eventually became manager in 2009, initially taking over as caretaker after Brendan Rodgers' departure.

McDermott's first spell produced the defining achievements of his managerial career. Reading reached consecutive FA Cup quarter-finals, lost the 2011 Championship play-off final to Swansea City, and then won promotion to the Premier League as champions in 2012. He was dismissed in March 2013 with Reading in the relegation zone.

Leeds came calling the following month, but his 14 months at Elland Road were dominated by instability. After the club's takeover by Massimo Cellino, McDermott left by mutual consent in May 2014 following a 15th-place finish.

He returned to Reading in December 2015, but was dismissed again in May 2016 after just six months and 13 defeats in 30 games. That ended up being his final role in English football as a manager or head coach, though.

What happened to Brian McDermott after Reading

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McDermott returned to scouting after his second Reading departure, rejoining Arsenal in June 2016. He remained there until 2020, when the club's restructuring led to widespread redundancies within its scouting department.

He subsequently worked as a consultant, including for the League Managers' Association, before returning to a senior football role with Hibernian. McDermott became Hibernian's director of football in 2023, helping oversee the appointment of Nick Montgomery later that year.

His time in Scotland eventually led to another change of direction, with McDermott joining Major League Soccer side Charlotte as a consultant in November 2025 (Reading Chronicle). It is quite the journey for someone whose post-playing career once appeared to be heading towards a desk job selling pensions.

From non-league football to Reading's scouting department, the Premier League, Leeds, and now MLS, McDermott has remained involved in the game in one form or another for three decades now.